Door buffer



jam 29 1924.

H. N. SORENSON DOOR BUFFER Filed Dec. 12

in van [01 Fatented Jan. 29, llQZd.

UhllTEfl HARRY N. SORENSON, OF TOLEDU, DHIO.

noon np'r.

Application filed December 12, 1921.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HARRY N. SonENsoN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, have-made an Invention Appertaining to a Door Buffer; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which in it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to door buffers particularly of the .type used in connection with the doors of automobiles, and has for its object the provision of a simple and inexpensive device of this character, which is capa- Bo ble of being easily and quickly applied to a door and casing and is effective in taking up play and looseness in a door and casing and holding a door against rattling.

The invention is fully described in the following specification, and while, in its broader aspect, it is capable of embodiment in numerous forms, a preferred embodiment thereof is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,-

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side view of an automobile body with the door and its casing equipped with the invention and with the latter partly open and partially broken away. Fig. 2 is an enlarged outer end view it?) of the socket member of the buffer with the casing in which secured fragmentarily shown. Fig. 3 is an outer enlarged face view of the socket member. Fig. l is an outer enlarged side view of the projecting member of the bufler. Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 in Fig. 4, and Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of a door and easing equipped with the buffer and with the door partially open.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates an automobile body having a door casing 2, and 3 a door mounted in the casing The socket member of the buffer is set into the casing, and in its preferred embodiment,-

for the purpose of cheapness and simplicity of manufacture, comprises a strip of sheet metal 4: formed in successive ill-shaped loops to provide a central socket 5 for receiving the projecting member of the buffer and 5 smaller side sockets 6, 6, one at each side of Serial no. seiner.

the central socket 5 for receiving bumper blocks 7 of rubber or other suitable yielding material. The loops 8 forming the wall between the central socket 5 and each side socket are preferably inwardly inclined at so the sides thereof forming the sockets 6 so that such sockets are broader at their bottom than at their outer portions, thereby serving to retain the buffer blocks 7 in engagement therewith, but permitting a longie5 tudinal adjustment of the buffer blocks to compensate for wear. The inner end of each socket 6 is closed by lapping wings 9 which are formed on and bent from the inner ends of opposing side walls of the sockets 6. The outer side walls of the sockets 6 have outwardly projecting securing flanges 4 at their outer ends.

The projecting member of the buffer comprises two corner plates 10, each having a flange 11 extending from a side edge thereof substantially co-extcnsive with its length and at right angles to the plate and continuing around and extending across one end of the plate, thereby forming an t..-shaped flange which has the members or leg portions thereof integral with the respective side and end edges from which they project. The plates are assembled with the side flanges thereof in longitudinal alignment 85 and with their end flanges in side abutment and rigidly secured together by electric welding, riveting, or in any other suitable manner. The end flanges when time secured together cooperate to form a rigid rib or flange 12 midway between the ends of the plates and extending from edge to edge thereof.

A spring metal member 13, preferably of strap metal and of a width substantially as equal to the depth of the rib or flange 12, is doubled centrally upon itself with its looped end portion closely receiving and forming a nose 14 for the outer end of the rib 12, being rigidly secured thereto by a rivet 15, or in any other suitable manner. The leg portions of the member 13 each bow or swell outwardly and rearwardlv from adjacent to the nose portion 14 and then continue to the side flanges 11 of the plate on a slight outward incline with respect to the rib 12, so that the spring tongue or projection that 15 formed by the member 13 gradually narrows from its inner end outward and is then more abruptly restricted in width. The free end ice of each leg of the member 13 is provided with a spur 16, which projects through a egistering aperture 18 in the side flange 11 and coacts with the outer wall of the opening to limit the outward springing movement of the leg. The space between the rib 12 and the member 13 is filled by a cushion block 18, which yieldingly resists on inward compressing movement of the member legs.

It will be understood that the united plates 10 are intended to be secured to the free edge of a door 3 inposition for the tongue or projecting membe of the plate to enter the socket 5 of the member 4, the width of the projecting member being such as to adapt it to tightly fit into the socket 5 and to cause an inward compression of the opposite sides of the projecting member when it is forced substantially the full extent into the socket: In other words, the width of the Socket 4 is slightly less than the tapered portion of the projecting member so that as the member is forced into the socket an inward compression of its leg or side portions will be efi ected. When the door is closed the outer ends of the bumpers 6 are intended to coact with the side flanges 11 of the projecting member to limit the closing movement of the door.

It is evident that I have provided a simple and inexpensive construction of buffer for the doors of automobiles and the like, and that the projecting or tongue member thereof is strong and durable by reason of the integral connection of the rib 12 with the body plate 10.

. I wish it understood that my invention is not limited to any specific construction, arrangement or form of the parts, as it is capable of embodiment in numerous forms, wl ithout departing from the spirit of'the c aims.

Having thus described my invention, what I c aim as new, and desire 'to secure by Letters Patent is-- 1. In a buffer of the class described, a socket member formed of sheet metal having successive Usha ed loops to provide a center loop for receiving the projecting member of the buffer and side loops for receiving bufler members.

Q. In a bufler of the class described, a stri of sheet metal formed to provide three successive U-shaped sockets, the center socket being of greater width than the side sockets and forming the ton ue receiving socket of the buffer and the si e sockets having a side wall thereof inwardly inclined, and yielding buffer members mounted in the side sockets.

3. In a buffer of the class described, a strip of sheet metal looped to form three successive U-shaped sockets, the center socket adapted to receive the projectin r member of the butter, yielding buffer bloc s mounted in the side sockets and projecting from the outer ends thereof, and ears provided on the side walls of the side sockets and bent in lapping relation across the inner ends of such sockets to close the same.

4:. In a buffer of the class described, a projecting member comprising two body plates, each flanged along a side and end thereof with the end flanges in side abutment and rigidly secured together to form a rib, a spring band doubled upon itself around the outer end of the rib and fixed at its nose portion thereto with its legs extending outward and rearward to adjacent the side flanges of the plate, and means for limiting the outward springing movements of the band legs.

5. In a buffer of the class described, a pair of body plates each having a flange projecting at right angles from a side and end thereof with the end flanges of the two plates in side, abutment and rigidly secured together and with the side flanges in longitudinal alignment, a spring metal strip centrally looped upon itself with its looped portion closely embracing the outer end of the rib formed by the end flanges and rigidly secured thereto and with the legs of the strip extending forward and rearward from the nose portion to the side flanges and interengaging with the side flanges to permit limited inward springing movements of the legs and limited outward springing movements thereof, and cushion members disposed in the sockets between the rib and the leg portions of the spring strip.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name to this specification.

HARRY N. SORENSON. 

